


Setting fire to the ice

by asamandra



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Blades of Glory AU, Don't copy to another side, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, No Beta, figure skating, pair skating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:14:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27593957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asamandra/pseuds/asamandra
Summary: Nicky and Joe are both figure skaters and they both rank among the best but they can't stand each other. And when they start a fight during their medal giving ceremony they're both banished for life. But then Andy comes up with an idea how to get them back onto the ice...(yes, I stole the idea from the movie!)
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 12
Kudos: 81





	Setting fire to the ice

**Author's Note:**

> For [this](https://theoldguardkinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/5880.html?thread=1956856#cmt1956856) prompt on the "The Old Guard" kinkmeme:
> 
> Nicky/Joe, Olympics! AU
> 
> Nicky and Joe are bitter competitors (for any sport, though ice skating is my fave!) for years who end up falling in love. Bonus points for all the other Guard members featuring as fellow athletes/coaches etc
> 
> (Well, I have to admit I'm not the biggest figure skating fan. I just googled and used Wikepedia to research about figure skating, the jumps and all that and I borrowed quite a lot from the movie. But I loved the prompt so much, I just had to write it!)

Nicky sat beside the ice rink when it was _his_ turn. He gritted his teeth and squeezed the fingers of his left hand with his right. 

“Don’t do that,” Steven said beside him. Steven Merrick was his sponsor, a huge figure skating fanatic who never missed a competition. 

But Nicky couldn’t stop squeezing his hand until Keane, his trainer, glared at him. 

The music started - of course it was Queen again - and Yusuf Al-Kaysani, also known as Joe, the bane of his life, went onto the ice. He was dressed a bit like Freddie Mercury in the video to the song, black, skin tight pants, a black shirt with the band logo on it and a black biker jacket. 

He shrugged out of his jacket and threw it over to Andromache, his trainer, and Nicky could literally hear the girls in the crowd sigh. Joe blew kisses over to them and started to move over the ice. His hips swayed slightly with the music and Nicky gritted his teeth again. Double Axel, triple Axel, Euler jump and he stood every single one perfectly. 

Keane looked over at him sternly when Joe passed him and blew a kiss in his direction with a wink. He always liked to provoke him but Nicky didn’t react. Al-Kaysani was always his main rival and he wouldn’t react to his deliberate provocation. 

Joe just passed the jury, flirtingly winked at them and then stood a quadruple Lutz perfectly. 

“He’s better than ever,” Keane just muttered and Merrick nodded slowly. 

“You’re doing the quadruple Rittberger,” Steven whispered in his ear. 

“What? But my performance is…” Nicky started but both, Merrick and Keane, glared at him.

“You’re doing the quadruple Rittberger,” Keane repeated and Nicky nodded slowly. He went through his performance mentally to adjust it. Planned was a triple Rittberger but with the quadruple he would need more space and time. He would have to move faster between the jumps and he would have to start earlier with his triple Axel. Damn, it would be tight but he would be damned if he didn’t stand it. This was his chance, his Olympic gold medal. His, not Joe’s! 

Joe finishes his performance with a perfectly executed Toe Loop jump and then goes down on his knees and slides over to the jury, his arms wide open. 

The crowd bursts out in thunderous applause and Merrick and Keane look at Nicky. 

But Nicky just stared at the screen to see the jury’s votes. 5.8. 5.7. 5.9. 5.7. 5.9. 5.6. 5.9. 5.8. 5.8. Damn! The fucker got 5.8 in total. That was the best score so far. 

The next competitor was Thore Lindström, a man from Sweden who was really good, too. He got 5.7 in total from the jury. But then it was Nicky’s turn and he rose. 

“Wipe that smirk of his face,” Keane said and patted his shoulder and Steven nodded at him reassuringly. He owed everything he had to these two men and he wanted to make them proud. 

“Okay,” Nicky said and put on a confident smile. He didn’t feel confident right now but he wouldn’t let anyone know. He removed the thick jacket he wore over the thin black clothing he wore. He put the hood over his head and went out onto the ice, went into the middle of the rink with his head lowered. The music started to play. He didn’t use a pop song, he used an especially for his performance composed instrumental.  
It started slow, somehow exotic, with North African elements, and Nicky still held his head lowered. He moved over the ice slowly until the music started to get faster. He threw his head back, the hood fell onto his back and he picked up pace till he could perform his first triple flip jump immediately followed by a triple toe loop jump and he stood both perfectly. The crowd started to cheer and Nicky spread his arms and smiled, moved faster and now timing was important to stay in tune with the music. He started with a triple Salchow immediately followed by the triple Axel. And then it was time for the quadruple Rittberger. Nicky could feel Joe’s eyes on him when he passed him. He had planned a triple Rittberger and now he needed to speed up, he turned around, and then he jumped. One spin, two, three… and four… and he landed almost perfectly, spread out his arms and bowed slightly with a smirk in Joe’s direction when he passed him again. He finished his performance with a triple Lutz and a double Toe Loop and with the last sounds of his song he went back to the middle of the rink, went down on one knee, put his head on it and the hood fell over it again. 

The crowd cheered and screamed and Nicky was so glad that he stood every single jump almost perfectly. The people wouldn’t see it but he was sure the jury would find something to critique. 

He went back to Merrick and Keane and sat down beside them, waiting for the jury’s votes. 

5.9. 5.7. 5.9. 5.7. 5.7. 5.8. 5.7. 5.9. 5.8. 

“That’s 5.8, too!” Keane growled and glared at Nicky. 

“It was… it was the quadruple Rittberger,” he said and gritted his teeth. “I had to move faster and the landing was difficult.” 

“That’s not an excuse!” Keane hissed. “You’re better than him, you should’ve gotten the better votes.” 

“I would’ve gotten the better votes if I would’ve used the planned performance.” 

Merrick glared, too, but didn’t say a word and Nicky just slid back into his thick jacket. He was cold. And with the two of them beside him it became actually frosty around him.

***

NIcky gritted his teeth when he climbed onto the winner’s podium. Of course he was first place… but not alone. Beside him stood no less a person than Yusuf Al-Kaysani. He wore that damn backwards cap he always wore and noisily chewed bubblegum. When Nicky straightened his back Joe turned to grin at him cheekily.

“Don’t grin at me,” he hissed. He tried to look happy for his gold medal but he wasn’t. He had to share first place with _him_ and that really peeved him. 

“I will grin at you in whatever way I want,” he said and his grin broadened. He gently shoved Nicky with his shoulder but Nicky was angry. He was angry he had to share his first place and so he shoved him back. And maybe he shoved him a bit harder because Joe almost fell off of the podium. 

“Hey!” he hissed, now angry, too. He shoved back again and Nicky stumbled over at Thore Lindström and hit him in the back. The Swede stumbled for a second and glared back at the two of them. 

“Don’t touch me!” Nicky growled and shoved Joe again but this time the man was prepared and he grabbed his arm and shoved him harder. And this time Nicky fell backwards on Thore, Thore fell off of the podium - heavily flailing with his arms - and landed on the guy who held the medals, the guy flailed, too, and fell onto one of the decorative torches they had placed to the left and the right of the podium and the torch fell and set fire to the olympic mascot. The man ran screaming over the ice, his costume burning. 

Nicky, who was on his feet again, jumped to strangle Joe and just had his hands around the other man’s throat while Joe punched his ribs. It hurt and Nicky growled when he realized that the mascot ran around, still burning. 

They both stopped, looked… and saw lots of cameras directed on them. Nicky looked around at the crowd. It was completely quiet in the whole hall, the only sounds he could hear were the cameras clicking and a small girl crying, her mother shielding her eyes. 

Oh fuck! They were fucked!

***

When Nicky entered the courtroom of the National Figure Skating Association he saw Joe already sitting behind a table opposite of the judges. Of course he wore his damn backwards cap, sunglasses and chewed bubblegum.

“You have to sit beside him,” Steven said and pointed at Al-Kaysani. 

“Great,” muttered Nicky but a glare from his coach let him shut up. He went through the aisle, pulled out the chair and sat down. 

“Hey, sweetheart,” Joe grinned at him and winked. Nicky gritted his teeth and very prominently didn’t look at him. 

“Don’t talk to me, Al-Kaysani,” he hissed. 

“Well, it was not entirely my fault that we’re here now,” Joe shrugged as if he wasn’t concerned at all. Nicky glared at him for a second before he turned back to the judges. 

The chairman used his hammer and it went quiet in the room.

“Let’s get this started,” he said and then asked, “Does either one of you want to make a statement before the commission pass its judgement?” 

Nicky saw that Joe leaned towards the microphone in front of him and rose quickly. 

“Yes,” he said and saw that the other man leaned back again, sighing theatrically. “Fans,” he said and looked around in the courtroom. Quite a few of his fans were here, he saw them holding pictures and wearing his merchandise, “Friends, esteemed members of the committee,” - Joe groaned audibly beside him - “I want to express how deeply ashamed I am for my behavior at the award giving ceremony. I know our behavior was disgraceful and I hope you can forgive me for my meltdown in the heat of the moment. Thank you.” 

Nicky sat down and the chairman nodded. He looked over at Joe who rose, reached in the pocket of his tight jeans and pulled out a page from a magazine. He unfolded it. 

“Maxim,” he said and showed the judges the page. “Last issue. Yusuf Al-Kaysani _is_ figure skating!” He slammed the page onto the table in front of him and sat down again and behind him started his entourage to cheer and to squeal. One of the girls even screamed she wanted a child from him. 

Joe turned around, a broad grin on his face and winked at her but when the chairman struck with his gavel a few times it became quiet again. 

“In accordance with the rules of the International Skating Federation, Nicolò di Genova and Yusuf Al-Kaysani, you are to be stripped of your medals,” - all hell broke loose in the hall - “and banned from men’s figure skating for the remainder of your life.” 

The chairman looked sternly at the two of them when he hit the soundblock with his gavel again. Joe was already on his feet, he yelled at the judges while cameras clicked behind them and the crowd talked across each other. Nicky sat there and stared at the judges disbelievingly. Sure, he had expected punishment but this? This was… this was… it was the end. His career was over. He couldn’t move, just sit there while Joe had started to curse the judges in a language Nicky didn’t understand. 

“Nicolò,” Merrick hissed behind him and slowly he turned his head. He waved his hand and Nicky rose and went over to him. Keane put his hand on the small of his back and shoved him to follow Merrick. Without a word they went out of the courtroom, out of the building and to the stretch limousine. 

Merrick was the first to enter then Nicky got shoved by Keane who followed him and closed the door. Steven reached for the krystal carafe and poured in two inches of Scotch. He raised the glass and mockingly saluted in Nicky’s direction. 

“Banned for life,” he sighed. “That’s a long time.” 

Nicky swallowed and grabbed the fingers of his right hand with his left hand. 

“I think…” Steven said and now looked at him. “I think it’s time for a fresh start.” 

“A fresh start?” Nicky asked and frowned and Merrick took another long sip from his Scotch. 

“Yeah, a fresh start. Let’s make it a clean break. You know, like a band aid. Just rip it off.” 

He gave the driver a sign and the man stopped the stretch limousine beside the street, got out, opened the trunk and removed Nicky’s bags. 

“Don’t make it weird, Nicolò,” Steven said. He leaned over him and opened the door. 

Nicky looked at Keane but his coach for years just nodded at the open door with his head. 

“Fine,” he said and left the car. The driver closed the door again, went behind the wheel and drove away. 

And Nicky stood somewhere in the middle of nowhere with his bags and the sorry remains of his life.

***

**3 years later**

Nicky just wiped down the bar when the door went open. He looked up and saw a woman enter. She was tall, short haired and seemed somehow familiar. Maybe she’s been here before. Nicky couldn’t remember. He never remembered the regulars here and Booker always said he’d never be a good bartender if he couldn’t remember the regulars. 

But Nicky had just shrugged and refilled the glass of a man who sat in front of him. Booker had cursed in French and went to the other side of the bar to serve a new patron. 

The woman sat down in front of him and looked at him. 

“Hello,” Nicky said. “What can I get you?” 

“A few minutes of your life,” she said and cocked her head. 

Nicky raised his brow. “Sorry, that’s not on the menu.” 

“Well, then I’ll take a vodka,” she said and Nicky turned around, took a glass and the bottle to fill it. When he shoved it over to her, he scrutinized her again. 

“You don’t recognize me, am I right?” 

Nicky looked at her and shrugged. “Should I?” 

“Well, I’ve been Yusuf’s trainer,” she smiled and now he recognized her. “Andromache Scythian, but friends call me Andy.” 

“Obviously I’m not Yusuf,” Nicky snorted and turned around. But Andy was fast: She reached over and grabbed his arm. Nicky tried to shake it off but she held it tightly. 

“I can help you,” Andy said. 

“Help me? With what? Washing the glasses?” He gestured around. “Serving the patrons?” 

“No,” she shook her head. “I can help you to get your life back.” 

Nicky had just tried to walk away but now he stopped and turned back to her. 

“What?” 

“I can help you to get your life back,” Andy said again. 

“I don’t know if you remember, but I’m banished from figure skating for life. And I don’t plan to die and resurrect any time soon.” 

“We found a loophole,” she said and Nicky frowned. 

“We?” he asked and Andy turned around. Behind her, at one of the tables, sat a man with his back to him. Booker had served him and so he didn’t take notice. But now that he looked closer he wanted to slap himself. He should’ve recognized the damn backwards cap. 

“Yeah, we,” Andy said and the man rose, turned around and Nicky looked in the face of Yusuf Al-Kaysani. He had grown a beard now and was even more attractive than back then.

“Get out!” Nicky hissed. “Get out of my eyes and…” 

“Hey,” Booker called from the other side of the bar. “Last time I checked this was my bar and I decide who can drink here and who can’t.” 

“Well, then I have to leave,” Nicky said and straightened his back. He removed the apron he wore and wanted to leave when Booker placed a hand on his chest. 

“Hey, buddy,” he said quietly. “It can’t hurt to listen to them.” 

“This man ruined my career,” Nicky hissed. “He…” 

“Buddy,” Booker snorted. “I’ve seen it on TV.” 

“Well,” Nicky said again. “Can I leave now, or…” 

“Or you just sit down with them and listen to them,” Booker said. “I know you’re not happy here and…” 

“That’s not true,” Nicky interrupted him. “I like the job and I’m thankful you gave me this chance.” 

“Yeah, sure!” Booker snorted. “It’s always been your life goal to become a bartender. You, who started figure skating when you were five years old.” 

“I don’t want to talk to _him_!” Nicky hissed. “I don’t even want to be in the same room with him!” 

Booker raised a brow and looked at him. Looked at him for a very long moment and then Nicky sighed. 

“Fine,” he snapped. “I’ll listen to them. But that’s everything.” 

“Good,” Booker grinned and waved over his shoulder. Andy and Joe came over and Nicky pointed at one of the tables. He went to it, sat down and waited for the other two to follow him. 

“You look good,” Joe said when he sat down. Of course he had to wink at him. Nicky gritted his teeth. He scrutinized him with pursed lips. 

“And you’re fat,” he said then. It wasn’t true but he just had to say it. “And the beard makes you look old.” 

Joe laughed. “That’s the Nicolò I’ve missed,” he said with a smirk. Nicky felt the heat rise in his ears and he knew he just blushed. Damn asshat, he thought. 

“We found a loophole,” Andy said when the silence became almost palpable. “We researched, we asked many, many people and apparently there’s no rule who says it’s not possible.” 

Nicky turned to her now and cocked his head questioningly. 

“Pair skating,” she said. 

Nicky looked from her to Joe and back and then he started to laugh. 

“Yeah, good one,” he said and got ready to leave when Joe reached over and held his arm. His hand was warm on his skin and he shivered slightly. 

“Let go of me,” Nicky hissed. He didn’t want him to feel him shiver.And Joe actually removed his hand, he raised both of them in surrender and leaned back. 

“There’s no rule against same sex pairings,” Andy said again. “And we both know how much you miss it.” 

“What? You think I miss getting up at five in the morning to train? You think I miss all the hours I had to spend on ice?” he snapped. “No, I don’t miss it,” he added and all three of them knew that he was lying. 

Nicky rose and tugged at his shirt. 

“I have work to do,” he said and looked over his shoulder at Booker, “well, if I still have a job.” 

Booker nodded and gestured with his head at the bar. Nicky walked away but Andy stopped him. 

“Think about it,” she said and held a business card in her hand. Nicky looked at it for a long moment and eventually took it and put it in the back pocket of his jeans. He didn’t look at Joe, just went back behind the bar and put on his apron again.

***

“It was a good evening,” Nicky said when he had finished sweeping the floor.

“Nicky,” Booker said and he sounded exasperated. “Really?” 

“What?” he said. “It _was_ a good evening. The tips were good and I got two phone numbers.” 

He reached in the pocket of his jeans and pulled them out to give them to Booker. They were from girls and Nicky wasn’t into girls. But then the business card Andy had given him fell out, too. 

“You should call her,” Booker said and leaned against the bar. “We both know you want it. You want to go back onto the ice.” 

Nicky looked at his feet. 

“Yes,” he whispered. “More than everything.” He looked up. “But not with _him_.” 

“I know you know for almost three years,” Booker said. “I know when you’re lying.” 

“I cannot skate with him, Book,” Nicky said. “Not with _him_!” 

“Oh,” Booker said and then, a moment later, _”Oh!”_

Nicky blushed again. 

“Oh, Nicky,” Booker sighed. “You should definitely call them.” 

“No,” Nicky said and shook his head. 

“Okay,” Booker said and folded his arms over his chest. “Then… you’re fired.” 

“What?” Nicky blurted. “You can’t fire me, you need me.” 

“Not as much as you think,” Booker said and snorted once again. “I just felt pity for you when you stumbled in rain-drenched and with a sorry backstory.” 

“Ha ha, funny,” Nicky said and Booker laughed quietly. 

“Call them, you want it. I know it, you know it.” 

“Fine,” Nicky grumbled. “Tomorrow. It’s too late now.” 

“I will pin you down on that,” Booker said and pointed at him. “And now, piss off, it’s late and I need my beauty sleep.” 

“Good night, Sebastien,” Nicky said with a grin. He took his jacket and went to the door. 

“Night,” Booker said and locked the door behind him. 

Outside on the street he looked at the business card again. Okay, he would call her. Tomorrow.

***

“Are you sure we’re right here?” Nicky asked the taxi driver. The man turned around and looked at him.

“That’s the address you gave me,” he said and shrugged. Nicky looked out of the window again at the building they stood in front of. 

A & N Logistics the sign said and it looked a lot like a warehouse. Nicky paid the man and left the car and it drove away. He looked around, saw a door at one side of the building and a young, black woman leaning beside the door. She seemed to wait for something. Or someone. 

Nicky looked around again but the woman had seen him already and waved him over to her. He furrowed his brows but started walking. 

“Hey,” she greeted as soon as he was within earshot. “You must be Nicolò,” she said with a smile on her lips. Nicky nodded and she held out her hand for Nicky to shake it. 

“I’m Nile,” she explained and went to the door. “I’m Andy’s assistant.” 

Andy and Nile, Nicky thought. A & N. 

“Is this your company?” he asked and Nile shrugged.

“It was,” she said. “We’re out of business now.” 

“Why?” Nicky asked and followed her through a corridor to another door. 

“Well, after the debacle with your and Joe’s banishment we had to do something. No one wanted us anymore, so we tried something new. We failed,” she said and gestured around the almost empty warehouse. At the other end of the hall Nicky could see stairs leading up to a few offices and Nile went to said stairs right now. 

“Uh huh,” Nicky said when they climbed up. Nile opened the second door and went in and Nicky followed her. Behind an old desk sat Andy and in front of the desk sat Joe. And of course he had to wear a backwards cap. When he came in Joe turned around, a smile on his face, and he let his eyes run up and down Nicky’s appearance. Nicky looked at himself, too, if he had some stains on his clothes, but no, they looked normal. No stains on the tight jeans, no stains on his shirt, no stains on his black leather jacket with the white and red stripes. Why did Joe stare at him like that?

“Finally,” Andy smiled and rose. “Take a seat, let’s start,” she said and rubbed her hands in anticipation. 

Joe pulled out another chair and with a sour expression Nicky sat down. He folded his hands in his lap and cocked his head. 

“So, how’s this supposed to work,” he asked and Andy nodded. 

“I checked all the rules and regulations, we,” she said and pointed at Nile, “read every single word ever written about pair skating. There’s no rule that says a pair can’t be two men or two women.” 

“It’s just no one ever came up with the idea of same sex pairs,” Nile said and smiled. 

Nicky looked at Joe and Joe at him. 

“No, what I meant was,” he said and gestured between him and Joe with his finger, “how is _this_ supposed to work? I mean, there are other figures in pair skating and the liftings and… and… stuff.” 

“Don’t worry, princess,” Joe grinned, “I can lift your pretty ass anytime.” 

Nicky turned to him and squinted his eyes.

“Call me princess again and you’ll have to drink your soup through a straw.” 

“Yeah?” Joe mocked. “And who will…” 

“Come on, ladies, calm down,” Andy snapped and both men turned to her. “You both want to go back onto the ice. You don’t want to spend the rest of your lifes as a bartender or a sports article retailer. You are born to skate and we all know it. So calm down and listen to me!” 

“Sorry,” Joe said the same moment Nicky said, “Mi scusi.” 

“We have only three days to sign you up for the next competition and…” 

“Three days?” Nicky blurted. “That’s insane!” 

Andy looked at him and now she was clearly angry. 

“If you interrupt me one more time…” she growled. Nicky swallowed and leaned back, closed his mouth demonstratively, pretended to lock it and threw the imaginary key away. 

“Good,” she said. “Where was I?” 

“Sign up,” Joe said and Andy nodded. 

“We have to sign you up in three days and the competition is in three weeks,” she said. “That means we have limited time to get you back into shape and ready for the competition.” 

“Three weeks is…” Nicky started but when Andy looked at him he closed his mouth again and looked at Yusuf. 

“That’s lots of work, Andy,” he said, too. “And really not much time.” 

“I know that,” she said and slumped back in her chair. 

“That’s why I am here,” Nile said behind them. “You two will stay with us. We start with your training tomorrow.” 

“I have a job!” Nicky complained and Andy raised her brow. 

“I talked to Booker,” she said. “You’re on vacation.” 

“You just can’t…” Nicky started but Andy stopped him with a rude gesture with her hand. 

“I can and I already did,” she said. “We need every second to work with you.” 

“We?” Nicky asked, confused. 

“Yes, we!” Andy pointed at Nile who leaned behind them. 

“I will hammer you in shape and she’s your dance instructor,” she said. Both men turned around to look at her and Nile waved at them. 

“Allah help us,” Joe muttered. And Nicky sighed beside him.

***

Together they entered the small room Andy had cleared out for them in her house. Nicky looked at Joe and then back at the bed. The bunk bed. There was a bunk bed in the room he should share with Yusuf Al-Kaysani. Fuck!

“I’ll claim top,” Nicky said and threw his jacket onto the bed. 

“You can’t just claim top,” Joe said and threw his damn cap onto the bed, too. It was the first time Nicky saw his hair without the cap and it was curly and looked so damn soft and fluffy. He itched to touch it. 

“Well, I just did,” Nicky said and cocked his head. 

“But I want this bed,” Joe said and Nicky took a deep breath, pursed his lip and reached for his jacket. 

“Fine,” he snapped. “Take it!” He threw his jacket on the lower bunk.

“No,” Joe said. “Now I don’t want it anymore.” 

“What is wrong with you?” Nicky blurted. 

“The wiser head gives in,” Joe said and then cocked his head. “And I can’t let you be the wiser head.” 

“Fine,” Nicky snapped. He grabbed his jacket and threw it back onto the top bed. 

“On the other hand,” Joe said with a smirk. “I don’t want to have to lie beneath you.” 

“Are you kidding?” Nicky hissed. “Are you… are you fucking kidding?” 

“No,” Joe said and mused. “I just don’t know which bed I want.” 

“Fine!” Nicky took his jacket. “I’ll leave you to your own devices then. Find out which bed you want and let me know. I’ll sleep on the couch till you know.” 

“Aww, come on, princess, don’t be like that. I was just pulling your leg,” Joe grinned. 

Nicky whirled around, pointed his finger directly in Joe’s face. “Fottiti stupido stronzo!” 

“Nicky…” Joe tried again. 

“Vaffanculo!” Nicky threw his arms in the air and stormed out of the room. 

Andy opened the door to her bedroom. 

“Why are you two still awake? And why are you yelling at each other instead of sleeping?” she snarled. 

“Well, I would be sleeping, Nicky hissed and pointed at Joe, “But he can’t decide which bed he wants.” 

Andy looked at the two of them disbelievingly. 

“Go to bed,” she said. “Now!” 

Nicky looked at Joe, Joe looked at Nicky and then both men went back into the bedroom. 

“I’ll take the lower bed,” Joe said and sat down already. 

“Fine,” Nicky nodded. He slid out of his shoes, out of his pants and climbed up. For a moment he could feel Joe’s eyes on him but then the man pulled a blanket over himself and Nicky lay down, too. 

“Good night,” Joe said quietly and Nicky just grunted. But then, a few moments later he said, “Good night,” too.

***

The next morning Nicky startled awake when Andy stood in the doorway and beat with a wooden spoon on a pot. He hit his head against the ceiling and heard a yelp from the bed beneath him.

“Wakey, wakey, ladies,” she said when Joe struggled to his feet from the ground. 

“Wha…” he groaned and Nicky looked down at him. His hair was prettily tousled and Nicky would love to run his hands through it and the next moment he hated himself for the thought. 

“Can you put on a shirt?” he grumbled instead and sat up. 

“What? Never seen a naked man before,” Joe grinned now. Nicky felt the heat rise in his cheeks. 

“Maybe I just don’t want to see _you_ naked?” he snapped. 

“If you’re done with your bullshit, the bathroom is on the left and breakfast is ready,” Andy sighed and left the room. Nicky hopped down from his bed and was at the door before Joe but he was close behind him and grabbed his arm. 

“You can’t just go to the bathroom first,” he said and his breath tickled Nicky’s ear. 

“I said stop that bullshit! Now!” Andy yelled from the kitchen and Nicky rolled his eyes. He shrugged out of Joe’s grip, walked down the corridor and with a glance back at him passed the door to the bathroom and went to the kitchen instead. 

“Please tell me there is coffee,” he groaned. Andy pointed at the coffee maker and Nicky poured a mug for himself. When he turned around and saw Andy’s gaze he looked down at himself. He still wore only his shirt and his boxers. “You literally kidnapped us,” he said with a shrug. 

“Clothes for you are in the dresser,” Nile said behind him and Nicky almost startled. The woman could move really quiet. “I took the liberty and picked up some of your stuff.” 

“But… how?” Nicky blurted and Nile raised a brow.

“The lock on your door is a joke,” she snorted. 

“And when?” 

“Last night,” she said. She reached around Nicky, took the carafe and filled a cup with coffee. She sat down beside Andy before she took a sip. 

“Breakfast,” Andy said and pointed at the table. There were plates with fruits and yoghurt and muesli. Lots of healthy stuff. Nicky scrunched up his nose. 

“Eat! We have a lot to do today,” Nile said with a sweet smile. 

Nicky sighed, sat down and started to eat when Joe entered the room and looked at the coffee maker. The carafe was empty. 

“Really?” he said. Nile looked over her shoulder at him.

“Good morning to you, too,” she said and took a sip from her mug. Nicky grinned at him, took his mug demonstratively and drank, too. Joe grumbled something in a language Nicky didn’t understand, went to the coffee maker and filled it with water. 

“The coffee grounds are in the cupboard to your left,” Andy said. Joe set the machine going and then sat down on the only empty chair, beside Nicky. 

He grumbled into his beard and stared at the food. 

“Birdseed,” Nicky could understand and tried to repress a grin. It was futile. 

“You need to lose weight and build up muscles,” Andy sighed. “Eat now!” 

“Are you calling me fat?” Joe gasped and Andy pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“Yes,” she said then. “Eat!” 

Joe glared at her and Nicky giggled beside him. 

“You’re fat, too,” Andy snapped and Nicky closed his mouth and looked down at himself. He wasn’t fat, was he?

“Eat now,” Andy growled. And Nicky turned back to his food. 

After their breakfast Nile shooed them to get dressed. 

“What are we up to?” Nicky wanted to know. 

“Running,” Nile grinned and Joe groaned beside him. Nicky could understand him. He never really liked running. 

He found his sweatpants and runners in their bedroom and put them on and was already stretching when Joe finally appeared, too. 

Nicky’s mouth went dry. The damn fucker wore running shorts and a tank top - together with his awful backward cap - and he could only stare at his damn, long legs and his shoulders. 

“Really?” Nile asked him. It was chilly and damp and both, Nile and Nicky wore long sleeves. 

“Well, I’m not a sissy,” Joe grinned and winked at Nicky. 

“If you get sick I’ll kick your sorry ass,” she said.

“I won’t get sick,” Joe grinned and winked at Nicky. “Because I’m no wuss!” 

Nicky rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Let’s go,” Nile said and started to jog. Nicky followed her and Joe came behind them. Not far away from Andy’s house was a park and that was their destination. Nicky and Nile jogged beside each other but as soon as they arrived in the park Joe closed up and took the lead. Nicky sped up a bit to take over the lead again. They jogged like that a few moments till Joe moved faster again and then Nicky sped up and Joe did too. They both tried to take the lead and ran faster and faster.

“Hey!” Nile called behind them but they didn’t listen to her, they just raced each other through the park, faster and faster and faster till both of them were so out of breath that they collapsed and lay on the ground, wheezing like fish out of water. 

“Are you two idiots done now?” Nile asked when she arrived where they lay and tried to regain their breath again. 

Joe nodded slowly and Nicky just moved his hand a bit. 

“And now, get up, we’re not finished,” she smiled her sadistically sweet smile. 

“Wha…” croaked Joe and tried to raise his head. 

“Up! Now!” 

It took both of them almost ten minutes to be able to get up again but Nile didn’t let them go back, they had to run the whole distance. When they were back at Andy’s house they could shower and then Nile drove them to the next part of their training: the ice rink. 

Not far away from Andy’s house was a skating rink they could use as long as the hockey team didn’t need it. 

Nicky rubbed his arms when he took a spin on the ice. He hasn’t been skating for almost half a year and he had to admit it felt good. Joe just warmed up on the other side of the rink when Andy whistled through her fingers. They both looked at her and when she waved they went to her. 

“I want you to take each other’s hand and go around the rink a few times,” she said and looked from Nicky to Joe and back. 

“What? I thought we…” Joe started to complain. 

“I need you to get to know you on the ice,” Andy said as if he never said a word. 

Joe licked his lips and swallowed and Nicky’s mouth was dry once again. They both shared glances and then looked at their hands. 

“Come on, we don’t have all day,” she said and gestured with her hands to hurry up. 

Joe looked at him again and Nicky carefully held his hand out. It took him a few seconds but then Joe reached out and took it. His hand was warm, dry and strong and Nicky liked his touch. They started to skate beside each other and it wasn’t as easy as he had thought it would be because they had to adjust their speed and their movements. But some twenty rounds later they had managed to skate in sync. 

“And now you do it without touching,” Andy called. Reluctantly Nicky let go of Joe’s hand and they both skated beside each other. It sounded easy but it wasn’t. They had to stay in sync without the control of their hands now. Joe was prone to speed up if he was on his own and Nicky often got too close to him. 

It took them almost an hour to manage to stay synchron and they only managed when they concentrated. But then Andy sent them off of the ice, said they should take a break and she put traffic cones onto the ice.

“Skate around them,” she said. “Together, side by side but without touching.” 

They failed miserably. Joe bumped into Nicky quite a few times while Nicky often was too far behind Joe. 

“Come on, ladies, concentration,” Andy called and Nicky actually stopped and turned to her. 

“Could you maybe stop that?” he asked and Andy raised both her brows to look at him half amused, half angry. 

“What?” She snapped.

“Could you stop calling us ladies?” Nicky repeated while Andy folded her arms over her chest. 

“Well, if you could stop complaining and whining so much, I maybe could,” she said. “But right now? No,” she said and shook her head. “Skate! Now!” 

They did.

“Okay, we do something more difficult now,” Andy said. “I want one of you skating backwards, the other one follows him forwards and the one skating the right way has to guide the one skating backwards without touching or talking.” 

“What? That’s not going to work,” Joe said and Andy raised her brow again. 

“Why do we have to do such ridiculous things?” Nicky asked.

Andy cocked her head.

“Have you ever seen pair skating before?” she asked and Nicky’s lip twitched. Sure he had but… well… not really. “Thought so,” she said then and gestured with her hand to do what she said. 

He looked at Joe for a moment. “Who’s skating backwards?” he asked. 

Joe seemed to deliberate and then said, “I do.” Nicky swallowed. It wasn’t difficult to skate backwards, they did it all the time but usually the could look over their shoulders while doing it. To be completely dependent on a partner was new to both of them. 

“Just round the rink for starters,” Andy said and Nicky nodded. Joe positioned himself in front of him, turned around and looked at him and then started to skate backwards. Nicky followed him and when the corner was coming up he inclined his head a bit. Joe understood and turned and actually managed to avoid hitting the side fence. Nicky couldn’t hold back the smile. It worked. Joe stayed in front of him, looked him in the eyes and whenever Nicky moved his head to the side a bit he turned the corner. 

“Good!” Andy called. “Guide him through the cones!” 

Nicky held Joe’s eyes and moved his body slightly to the left and Joe reacted immediately. He turned right and then Nicky inclined his head to the right and Joe turned left. They managed to get around three of the cones but then Nicky reacted too late and Joe fell over one of the cones. 

“Good,” Andy called. “Now, Nicky backwards and Joe, you guide him. Round the rink.” 

Nicky had no idea how long they skated like that but suddenly Andy called them over and Nile was there. 

She and Andy shared an unreadable glance when they came over to them. 

“I have coffee and sandwiches,” Nile said and held up a thermos and a paper bag. 

“What?” Joe asked when he saw their glances.

“Nothing,” Nile said and smirked. She handed out plastic cups with coffee and the sandwiches and they sat down on the bleachers to eat.

“What?” Nicky wanted to know now, too. He sipped his coffee and looked at the two of them. 

“Nothing,” Nile said again. “Everything's fine.” 

“No, everything is not fine,” Joe insisted. “Not the way you look at each other.” 

“We… just had an idea,” Andy said vaguely. “About your performance.” 

“Uh huh,” Nicky said around a bite from his sandwich. 

They spent the next minutes in silence but when they were finished Andy rose and took a deep breath. 

“All right,” she said. “Nile will work with you on your dancing and then…” 

“Dancing,” Joe interrupted her. “We really…” 

“What did I say about interrupting me?” Andy asked and Joe closed his mouth again. Nicky sniggered beside him but a glare from Andy stopped him, too. 

“Dancing is an important part in a pair skating performance,” Nile said. 

Joe raised his hand and Nile nodded at him. 

“What about the spins, the lifts, the jumps and all that?” 

“We’re working on that in a few days,” she said. “But now,” she said and rose with a smile. “Let’s dance.” 

Andy nodded at her, took the thermos and the plastic cups and left them. 

Nile shooed them onto the ice and rubbed her hands. 

“Do you know Viennese waltz?” she asked and both men nodded. “Good, that’s how we start with. I want you to dance Viennese waltz on the ice.” 

“We need to move our feet to dance waltz,” Nicky said and looked at Joe who nodded. 

“Oh, you’ll figure it out,” Nile grinned and went to the bag Andy had brought. She pulled out a CD player, put in a CD and turned to them. 

“Position,” she called and Nicky turned to Joe. But then Joe held out his left arm and Nicky frowned. 

“What are you doing?” he asked and Joe furrowed his brows. 

“Dancing?” he said but it sounded more like a question. 

“No,” Nicky pointed at his arm. “This!” 

“Well…” Joe said and looked at his own arm as if he’d seen it for the first time. “Leading, I’d say.” 

“No, no, no, no, no!” Nicky shook his head and folded both arms over his chest. “You’re not leading!” 

“Of course I am leading,” Joe said and folded his arms now, too. 

“And why do you think you should be leading?” Nicky spat.

“Why? Because I am the man in this thing,” Joe said and cocked his head. 

“What? Why are you _the man_?” Nicky said and made air quotes with both his hands. 

“Because I have a beard!” Joe said and let his hand run through his facial hair with a smirk. 

“Is that your argument? You have a beard? I can grow a beard, too!” Nicky snapped. 

Joe snorted a laugh. 

“You couldn’t grow a real beard if your life depended on it!” he said. “Besides, I’m taller than you. It would look weird if you would lead.” 

“You’re not taller than me,” Nicky hissed. “You’re just faking it with your ridiculous hair and that damn cap!” 

“I’m faking it? How can I fake to be taller than you? It’s in my driving license!” 

“Oh come on, every…” 

“Enough already!” Nile bellowed now. She had watched that argument for long enough and now it was enough. 

“But…” Joe said but with a harsh gesture Nile stopped him. 

“Talk it out! Beat it out! Fuck it out! Whatever! I don’t care! Just resolve that fuckery between you so that we can start training in earnest!” She yelled at them and threw her hands up in frustration. 

“Wha…” coughed Nicky and Joe gaped a few moments.

“Fuck it out?” he blurted then. 

“Yeah,” Nile hissed. “Get rid of that damn tension between the two of you and get your heads straight! We have lots of work to do and no time for your bullshit!” 

“There is no tension,” Nicky said slowly and Nile snorted.

“Sure,” she said then. “Get your heads straight.” She pointed at the two of them before she turned on her heels and left them alone. 

Nicky looked at Joe and then took a breath. 

“Maybe,” he said slowly. “Maybe we can… I don’t know… take turns?” 

“Yeah,” Joe said and looked at his feet. Nicky wasn’t sure but for a moment it seemed as if he blushed. “Yeah, that… uh… sounds like a good idea.” 

“Wanna dance?” Nicky asked and Joe nodded. 

“Let’s dance.”

***

The registration office was filled to the brim. Figure skaters, trainers, the press, officials, many people were there.

Nicky took a deep breath, looked at Joe, who nodded at him and they both followed Andy and Nile into the building. 

A bunch of reporters were just circling Noriko and James Copley, one of the most famous pair skating pairs. The two of them had more gold medals than Joe and him together. 

But as soon as the reporters took notice of them they hurried over to them. They asked questions, they took pictures but Andy just glared at them and told them to fuck off. Sure, she was a little more polite but they stayed back a bit. 

The two of them went to the registration desk and the official behind it looked at two of them sceptically. 

“Why are you here?” she asked, her glasses sitting at the tip of her nose. 

“We want to sign up for the competition,” Andy said. 

But the woman behind the desk raised her brow. 

“These two men are banished for life and…” 

“Not for the pair skating competition,” Andy said and grinned at her. Joe and Nicky stood behind her, looking at each other for a moment. 

“What?” the woman asked and her glasses slid off her nose and only the thin chain around her neck stopped them from falling onto the desk. 

“I want to register Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicolò di Genova for the pair skating competition,” Andy said loud enough that every single reporter in the room could hear her. 

“But that’s… impossible,” the woman stammered and paled. 

“No, it’s not,” Andy shook her head. 

“But… it’s against the regulations,” the woman tried again and Andy’s grin broadened. 

“No,” it’s not,” she said again. “Look it up.” 

“But… a pairing is supposed to be a woman and a man,” the woman said.

“No, it’s not,” Andy repeated again. “It’s common that pairings are usually a woman and a man but there’s no rule against male-male pairings.” 

“But…” the woman tried once more. 

“Look it up,” Andy said and shoved the registration form over the desk. 

“I… uh…” she said but then she stopped, put on her glasses and started to type on her computer. And she typed and read and typed some more and read. Every now and then she hummed or pursed her lips. 

“Apparently,” she said then, “There’s no rule that prohibits same-sex pairings.” 

“Told you so,” Andy grinned and shoved the registration form over again. And around them all hell broke loose. Reporters swarmed them, all of them asked questions across each other and they almost blinded them with their flashlights. 

Joe grinned and turned to the reporters. 

“Joe Al-Kaysani and Nicky di Genova are back on ice, ladies and gentlemen!” 

And Nicky slapped his hands over his face.

***

“You’re all over the news,” Nile said as soon as they were back. “I mean, really. Everywhere. There’s no channel without your faces right now.”

“What are they saying?” Nicky asked and Nile looked at Andy.

“That doesn’t matter,” she said and took the remote out of Nile’s hand. “You have to concentrate on your training.” 

“Come on, just…” Joe started but one of Andy’s glares stopped him immediately. 

“The Copley’s are bitching pretty hard,” Nile said. “They say you’re a couple of freaks and you’re throwing shit on their division.” 

“ _Their_ division?”” Andy snapped? “I had no idea they have the monopoly on pair skating!” 

“Well, it’s a…” Joe tried but Andy’s glance stopped him again. 

“We have to notch up your performance! I want you to wipe the ice with their carcasses,” Andy hissed. “I want to destroy them.” 

Nile looked at Joe and Nicky and then nodded at the door. 

“Come on, Andy,” she said then and went to her. “Calm down, will you?” 

They could hear her curse the two of them some more. 

“Uh…” Nicky said and looked at Joe. “Coffee?” 

“Good idea.” 

Both men went to the kitchen and Nicky went to the coffee maker and filled two mugs with coffee. He gave one of them to Joe and for a tiny moment their fingers brushed. His mouth went dry and he swallowed hard. Joe looked at him and Nicky took his mug to drink. 

“You know her better than I do. Why’s she so… angry?” he asked when the moment was over and Joe had taken his mug and drank, too. 

“Noriko is Andy’s ex,” he said. “Andy… well… you’ve seen it.” 

Nicky nodded slowly.

“Noriko did single skating and Andy was her trainer,” Joe said. “But then she wanted to do pair skating and searched for a partner. It was Andy who introduced her to Copley and a year or so in, she dumped Andy and married Copley. Andy was devastated, drank a lot and all that stuff. When I was looking for a new trainer, I asked her because I knew she’s good, she’s one of the best. She was in an awful state but the new job pulled her out of her misery, so to speak. And then we… I… got banished,” he sighed. 

“Oh,” Nicky said. Now he understood why she was so angry. “Let’s do this,” he said after a very long moment. “It doesn’t matter if we get along, but… I like Andy and… let’s do it for her.” 

“Yeah,” Joe agreed. “Let’s do it for Andy.”

***

The next two weeks Andy and Nile put them through the mill. They got up at five, went running with Nile, then breakfast and shower, and then training on the ice. Jumps and flips and spins and pair figures with Andy and dance moves with Nile. There were different figures in pair skating and they had to learn them and then to repeat them again and again and again.

And for the dancing they decided on something Tango like. Tango was sensual and exciting and originally danced by two men. So, it was perfect for their performance.

“All right,” Andy said after a long day of training. She was satisfied with their progress. They just sat down at the table in Andy’s house to have dinner. “We have the base frame so to speak. But we have to add a few more lifts and other stuff, too. Something spectacular,” she added. 

“Spectacular,” Joe said and Andy nodded, a grin on her face. 

“Yeah,” she said. “We have to flash them. I mean, _you_ have to flash them.” 

Nicky looked at Joe. Spectacular sounded difficult. And dangerous. But he didn’t become a figure skater because of the nice costumes. 

“We need something like…” she mused and tapped her lower lip with her finger a few times. “Coming out of a death spiral into a throw spin and then,” she looked at Nicky, “you can still do the split?” He nodded. “You have to get to Joe, both of you in spirals but then Joe takes your leg, you go into the split, from the split into a death spiral and then in a throw spin. Joe, first you throw Nicky and then you have to throw him.”

“A double throw spin?” Nicky asked. “Is that… within the regulations?” 

“Well, usually the women can’t throw their male partners but there is no woman in your team, right? So why not?” 

“I’ll find out,” Nile said and Andy nodded thankfully. 

“It’s not easy,” she said then and looked at the two men again. “But it will sweep them off their feet!” 

“And you think we can do that?” Nicky asked sceptically.

“You can do all the figures already,” Andy said. “We just have to combine them to a rousing finish.” 

Joe looked at Nicky and Nicky slowly nodded. 

“Okay,” he said then. “Let’s try it. What’s the worst that can happen?” 

“We die?” Joe supplied and Nicky shrugged. 

“Live fast, love hard, die young.” 

Joe blushed. And Nicky licked his lips.

***

“Okay,” Andy said excitedly. “That’s it!” She walked along the rink and clapped her hands.

“Really good,” Nile agreed and clapped, too. 

Joe and Nicky skated over to them, smiles on their lips. 

“That was perfect,” Andy said when they were with them. “I think we call it a day.” 

Joe turned to the big clock on one wall of the hall. 

“Already?” he asked. “We still can stay here a few hours before the ice hockey team…” 

“No, we’re calling it a day,” Andy said. “And you two, you have the evening off. No training or anything else, understood?” 

“Yeah,” Nile said. “Go out, enjoy yourself.” 

“But no alcohol!” Andy added. 

“No alcohol,” Nicky repeated with a nod. 

They drove back to Andy’s house where Nicky showered and put on a black, tight fitting jeans and his favorite shirt. He had no idea where to go but maybe he would visit Booker. 

“Hey,” Joe said when he came out of the shower, wearing only a towel around his hips. His skin was still a little bit wet. Nicky stared at him for a long moment. 

“Uh…” he managed and could feel the heat in his ears again. Damn fucker! He cursed the other man silently for walking around half naked. 

“I… uh…” Joe said and scratched the back of his neck. The towel almost slid down and he barely managed to grab it. “There’s this bar not far away,” he said. 

“Andy said no alcohol,” Nicky interrupted him. 

“I know,” Joe said. “But they have a pool table and I thought we could play a game or two?” 

“You play pool?” Nicky asked and then he blinked a few times. “You want to play pool with _me_?” 

“Yeah,” Joe nodded. “Why not?” 

“Why… uh…” 

“We didn’t try to kill each other for a while and so I thought we have a truce,” Joe smiled. Nicky swallowed again. His smile was beautiful, he had to admit and he would love to see it more often directed at him. It was so different from his provoking grins and smirks. 

“Oh… uh… okay,” he scratched the back of his neck. 

“Just let me…” he pointed at the door behind Nicky.

“Oh! Oh, sure!” Nicky stepped aside. The corridor was narrow and Joe left a few drops of water on Nicky’s clothes while passing him. He smelled like citrus and Nicky loved the scent he had to admit. When Joe closed the door behind himself Nicky let out the breath he held in his lungs.

‘Dammit!’ he cursed himself quietly. 

“What’s up?” Nile asked and Nicky’s head snapped around. She stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a bowl with ramen in her hand and her brow raised questioningly. 

“What?” he asked and sounded as if he got caught stealing cookies from the kitchen. 

“I just asked _you_ that,” she smirked and Nicky scratched the back of his neck, pointed at the door to the room he shared with Joe.

“I… uh…” he stammered. “I’m… uh… waiting… you know… for… uh… him.” 

“Uh huh,” Nile grinned knowingly and - much to his dismay - he blushed violently. “Have fun.” 

“What?” Nicky blurted and Nile just shrugged and went back to the living room. 

“Are you talking to me?” Joe asked from behind and Nicky whirled around. 

“What?” he asked again and Joe smiled at him. “No… uh… Nile is here,” he said and pointed at the living room where she and Andy sat and ate ramen. 

“Oh, okay,” Joe winked at the two women. “Let’s go?” 

Nicky nodded. 

“It’s not far away,” Joe said when they were outside. “We can walk.” 

They walked in silence and really, only five minutes later, they saw the bar already. They went in, ordered their drinks (diet coke) and went to the pool table in the back. 

“Oh god, I haven’t played since high school,” Nicky grinned when he took one of the cue sticks. 

“Really?” Joe asked. 

Nicky shrugged.

“I haven’t had much time afterwards,” he said and Joe nodded. He, of all people, understood. Joe had just put the balls onto the table, racked them and stepped back. He gestured for Nicky to start. 

“Not even time for a relationship?” Joe asked with an unreadable expression on his face. Nicky leaned down to break the balls. The green six fell and he smiled. 

“That’s… very personal,” he said then and looked up. 

Joe held his gaze for a moment then he apologized.

“Sorry,” he said. “It’s just…” 

“I tried” Nicky interrupted him. “But he hated the fact that he always had to play second string, you know.” He sank the blue two and the purple four.

“He?” Joe blurted, then cleared his throat. “I mean, yes, I understand. Figure skating, more figure skating, then relationship.” 

Nicky scrutinized him for a long moment but then he nodded. 

“Exactly,” he said. “And Merrick was… well…” he stopped and shrugged. “He didn’t exactly allow it, he didn’t like that I got sidetracked.” 

Joe nodded and watched Nicky sinking ball after ball. 

“How about you?” he asked and Joe shrugged again. 

“I had a few flings,” he said. “Nothing serious.” 

Nicky nodded knowingly. “No time for a serious relationship,” he said but Joe didn’t answer right away. 

“Nah,” he said then slowly. “Well, technically, yes, but also… there was this one person but they were not interested.” 

“They?” Nicky asked, curious now. But once again Joe just shrugged. 

Nicky sank the black eight and rose, a smile on his lips. 

“High school, huh?” 

Now it was Nicky’s turn to shrug. 

“Just luck,” he said and took a sip from his coke. 

“I hope we have as much luck tomorrow,” Joe said. 

Nicky took a deep breath and started to put the balls onto the table again. He racked them but looked at Joe while doing it. 

“We don’t know luck,” he said then. “We’ve trained hard and we’re good.” 

“The other teams, they’re doing this for years.” 

“We’re doing this for years, too, just not together,” Nicky said and Joe looked at him again with that unreadable expression. He wished he knew why he always looked at him like _that_. 

“That’s what I mean,” Joe said after a moment. “We didn’t skate for years and now we had only three weeks as preparation.” He walked around the billiard table and went down to break the balls. “We need all the luck we can get.” No ball fell and Nicky went to the table. 

“Stripes,” he said, leaned down and sank the yellow one.

***

“Are you okay?” Booker asked him and sat down opposite of him. Nicky blinked a few times and nodded, then shook his head, then nodded again.

This morning he drove with Andy and Joe to their first competition. They checked in, they got a changing room, they warmed up and then Nicky got panicky. Fortunately Andy had seen Booker in the crowds and told him to talk to him. After all, he was the closest to a friend Nicky had had in the last three years. Joe was already out at the rink with Andy and Nile and he had seemed worried, too. But then Booker came to him. 

“Good,” Booker said. “Because I have a new bartender and can’t give you back your old job.” 

“I think I’ll puke,” Nicky moaned and slumped down. He folded his hands over his head. 

“Nicolò,” Booker said with a sigh. “If you puke on my shoes I’ll have to break with you.” 

“I can’t do that,” Nicky groaned. “They’re all looking at me.” 

“You’ve done it before,” Booker said. “I’ve seen the videos.” 

“You’ve seen the videos?” Nicky asked and sat up straight again. 

“Yeah,” Booker said and took a sip from his flask. He held it out for Nicky but he refused. He had to stay sober to survive this. “And I know you’re good.” 

“It’s…” he started but Booker held up a hand.

“I don’t know the other guy, but I’ve seen his videos, too. He’s also pretty good,” he shrugged and Nicky took a deep breath. “Together? You’re going to flash all of them!” 

“You think?” Nicky asked and Booker snorted. 

“Nicolò,” he said then, “I know you can do it. You’re a figure skater to the core.” 

“Why do I feel so nauseous then?” Nicky asked and looked at his trembling hands. 

“Tell you what,” Booker said and took another sip from his flask. “When your performance is over I’ll tell you a secret.” 

“A secret?” Nicky wanted to know now. “What secret?” Booker raised his brow. 

“When your performance is over you’ll know.” 

“Come on, you can’t just say something like this and then leave me high and dry,” Nicky whined. 

“I can,” Booker smirked evilly. “If you want to know, go out there and skate.” 

“You’re an evil man, Sebastien,” Nicky grumbled. “You’re an evil, evil man.” 

“I know,” Booker said. “My three ex wives would agree with you.” 

Nicky huffed a laugh. 

“Go out there,” Booker said quietly. “And knock their socks off.” 

Nicky rose and took a deep breath. And then he nodded and went to the door. 

“Thank god,” Nile muttered as soon as she saw him coming over to them. The competition had started already. “I thought you would high tail.” 

Nicky looked at her, then shook his head. 

“I was just a bit…” he waved his hand around vaguely. But Nile just pointed at Joe, who sat beside Andy outside of the rink. He wore a warm jacket, just like Nicky and he went to him and sat down beside him. 

“Okay now?” Joe asked and Nicky nodded. “Good.” He looked at him for a long moment, then reached over, took Nicky’s hand and squeezed it slightly. 

“The Copley’s are next,” he said quietly while watching a pairing skate on the ice. They were good. Damn good, Nicky had to admit. “Then Miller/Winterbottom and then…” 

“It’s our turn,” Nicky finished. Joe nodded. 

Andy gritted her teeth when she saw the Copley’s coming onto the ice. Noriko was beautiful. She wore a white, glittery sequin dress. Her hair was tied into a bun and there were white flowers tied in it. James wore white pants and a white shirt. 

The two went onto the ice and looked at each other when their music started. It was a fairytale-like instrumental and it was beautiful. They moved a few steps and James lifted Noriko for a single step before they went around the rink hand in hand, leading into the first throw spin. James caught her and they continued skating. James moved backwards, holding Noriko’s hand and she raised her leg while he dragged her. 

She moved up to him and they went into another throw spin but this time she landed on her own feet and they continued to move around the rink with beautifully synchronised dancing moves. They performed - in synchronicity - a double Axel, a triple Axel and then a double Axel again. 

Noriko moved to James, raised her leg and he took her ankle. Together they skated through the rink till they performed a triple Lutz. 

They performed a side-by-side spin, going down with one leg outstretched and then up again. With a complicated move Noriko skated in James’ reach and he hoisted her up, her legs into a split. He performed a spin with her up high and then rotated her behind his back on her way down to the ice. They moved over the ice in dancing moves and went into another lift, this time holding her waist. He put her down after a spin and they moved into a death spiral. And when they separated they did single spins, going down again and on their way up they moved one leg over their heads, holding it with one hand. 

They moved up to each other and Noriko and James did a spin where they were really close, almost slotted together. They separated, slid over the ice in spirals, till James lifted her over his head at her waist again. She rotated up in the air while he still moved over the ice and then they finished it with him on one knee and holding her in a lift over his head amid the applause of the crowd. 

“Fuck,” Joe muttered and looked at Andy. She gripped the fence and her knuckles were white while she listened to the jury votes. 

“5.8,” she huffed. “That’s… a lot.” 

The next pairing went onto the ice and Andy turned back to watch them. They were good but by far not as good as the Copleys and in the end they had 5.4 points. 

“Okay,” Andy said and turned around to them when the stadium announcer announced them. “Take a deep breath and go out. You’re good. You both are the best and you can do it. Got it?” 

“Yes, boss,” Joe said and Nicky nodded beside thim. And then they went out onto the ice. 

It was quiet. Very, very quiet. Nicky was sure you could hear a pin drop. 

They went in position in the middle of the ice rink. They both stood opposite of each other, their backs straight and looked in each other’s eyes. Joe looked good in his golden costume with the red sun on it. Nicky wore a dark blue costume with a silvery moon on it. It was Nile’s idea and Andy liked it. 

Joe held out his left arm and Nicky took it with his right hand while the music started to play. It was an Argentinian Tango song and they both started with Tango steps. They both looked at each other.

After a few steps they started skating around the rink, still moving with the music. Joe moved Nicky around his axis, reached down to grab his waist while Nicky prepared for the first throw spin. Nicky crossed his arms over his chest and landed on his skates almost perfectly. Joe reached out and took his hand and they circled each other a few times, went down, one leg stretched out and then moved up again. They skated to the middle of the rink, performed a perfect side by side spin and Joe took Nicky’s hand again. A few Tango steps brought them to the side and they prepared for their next throw spin. This time Nicky was supposed to throw Joe and he was nervous and his nervousness unfortunately transferred to Joe. 

Nicky grabbed him around the waist and _threw_ him and Joe landed on his skates, stumbled… and slid backwards into the fence. 

The crowd gasped audibly over the music and Nicky hurried to Joe and held out his hand. Joe took it, rose and the people broke out in loud applause. 

“Come on,” Nicky whispered and Joe nodded. 

“Let’s flash them,” he said and Nicky smiled when they skated side by side into the middle of the rink. They both performed a quadruple Axel on the way, followed by a triple Lutz and then they were in the middle.  
They circled each other and around themselves at the same moment before Nicky moved to Joe, bent forward and raised his leg. Joe took it and they circled together now. But then Nicky moved in Joe’s grip so that he leaned away from him, went down, spread his arms and Joe went down, too. They went into a death spiral and the people broke out into thunderous applause when they both went up. They took each other by the hand, performed another side by side spin and then Joe put his hands around Nicky’s waist for the next throw spin. Nicky landed, Joe closed up to him and then Nicky threw him in a throw spin. 

And this time Joe landed perfectly. 

They both closed up again, Joe grabbed Nicky around the waist and whirled him around himself while Nicky had folded his leg behind Joe and when they finished that move Joe went down on his knee while still moving, Nicky pressed his hands on Joe’s and he hoisted him up. Nicky spread his legs while Joe moved him around his body. 

They performed two more jumps in sync and went back into the middle of the rink again. Joe held out his hand and Nicky took it, and with Tango steps they went to finish their performance. Their left skates touched, they held each other’s left hand and leaned to the outside, their right hands stretched out and once again the crowd cheered. 

The music stopped and both men grinned at each other. They skated back to Andy who grinned and clapped, too. 

“Awesome,” Nile smiled and clapped their shoulders. 

Joe grinned to, turned to Nicky, looked at him for a very long moment before he put both his hands on Nicky’s cheeks, leaned in and just kissed him. It was a short kiss, a heated kiss but Nicky reacted immediately. He opened his mouth and invited Joe in, touched his tongue with his own and placed his hand on Joe’s hips. 

“Wow,” Nile said when they broke a few moments later. “I didn’t see that coming.” 

“Well,” Andy sighed. “I did.” 

“Wha…” Nicky asked and Andy shrugged. 

“About damn time,” she muttered when Joe blushed. 

“Okay,” Nile said and nodded at the Jury. “The votes.” 

All four listened and then sat down. 

“5.6?” Andy yelled. “You gotta be fucking kidding me!!” 

“This is a joke!” Nile yelled, too, while Nicky sat down. And Joe sat down beside him while Andy and Nile cursed the jury. 

“We were good,” he said and Joe nodded slowly. 

“And…” he said and looked at Nicky. 

“We.. should talk,” Nicky said. “When this is over.” 

“When this is over,” Joe said.

***

“All right,” Andy said and stared into her glass. The four of them sat in Booker’s bar around a table and each one had a glass in front of himself. “That would’ve been that.”

She took her glass and emptied it in one go, turned around and gestured at Booker to bring a new one. 

“Boss,” Joe said but Andy stopped him with a glare. 

“It was a dumb idea,” she sighed when he leaned back again. “This was such a dumb idea and…”

“No,” Nicky interrupted her. His hand reached for Joe’s under the table and Joe squeezed it gently. “It was not a dumb idea,” he said when Andy looked at him angrily. Booker brought her a glass with vodka and took the empty glass with him. 

“Fourth place, Nicky!” Andy hissed when he was gone. “That’s not even the winner's podium. That’s nothing!” 

“It was the first competition and we were nervous,” he said. “In my very first competition I literally ran into the Jury’s table. And then I got half an Olympic gold medal!” 

“Half a medal?” Nile frowned and Nicky nodded at Joe. 

“Well, I had to share with him, remember?” He said and Joe snorted beside him. 

“There are more competitions,” Joe nodded. “And next time we’ll be on the podium.” 

“And then we will get the gold medal,” Nicky said. 

“Even if you have to share it with me,” Joe added and shrugged. 

“We can and we will beat the Copleys,Nicky said. “But only with your help, Andy.” 

“Yes,” Joe confirmed. “We can’t do it without you. Without you two.” 

Andy looked from Nicky to Joe and back, took her glass, emptied it again and rose. She went to the bar, talked to Booker, gave him some money and came back. 

“I think it’s time for us to go,” she said to Nile and when the younger woman stood beside her she looked at the two men sitting at the table. 

“Are you sure?” Andy then asked them and both, Joe and Nicky, nodded again. 

“Yes, we are sure,” Nicky said. 

“And you two don’t want to kill each other anymore?” 

“We…” Joe said and raised their locked hands to lay them onto the table. “We sorted things out.” 

“Good,” Andy nodded then. “All right. You have one week and then I want to see you back on the ice. Okay?” 

“Okay,” Joe said and Nicky smiled. 

“Okay.” 

“See you in a week then,” Andy said. 

“In a week,” Nicky confirmed. 

“Don’t fuck this up,” she pointed at the two of them threateningly. “Or…” 

“We won’t,” Joe grinned. 

“Promise,” Nicky added. 

“Oh god, Nile,” she huffed. “We’re doomed!” She went to the door of the bar. “One week!” 

“Bye, boss.” 

“See you in a week.” 

When the door fell shut behind the two women Joe looked at Nicky and raised his brow. 

“One week isn’t much time, is it?” 

“No,” Nicky confirmed. “We should use it wisely.” 

“Yes, we should,” Joe nodded. And then he cocked his head. “My place? Or yours?” 

“Mine,” he said and grinned. “It’s closer.” 

“What are we waiting for?” Joe asked and both turned around to Booker and said in unison, 

“Check!”

**Author's Note:**

> [asamandra on tumblr](http://asamandra.tumblr.com/)   
>  [clintbartonruinedmylife on tumblr](https://clintbartonruinedmylife.tumblr.com/)   
> 


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